This invention relates to a goose-neck connection for use on a sailboat to connect a boom or spinnaker pole to the boat mast. It relates more particularly to the portion of such a connector that is located in the end of the pole or boom.
A goose-neck is a two-axis pivot joint or a universal joint that permits the pole or boom to be swung in vertical and horizontal planes relative to the mast. Typically, the goose-neck includes a male connector member that is swivelly mounted to the mast and a female connector member that is anchored in the end of the pole adjacent to the mast. The connector members can be removably joined together to secure the end of the pole to the mast while permitting its aforesaid swinging movements relative thereto.
In recent years, the poles and booms used on many sailboats have comprised thin-walled, extruded aluminum tubes. The goose-neck connector element in the pole is usually in the form of a rigid cylindrical socket on the order of two inches long made of a strong material such as steel. The socket is welded to one side of a rigid metal plate and this plate is riveted or screwed to a wall of the pole with the socket being located adjacent the end of the pole and extending parallel to the pole axis.
The pole is connected to the mast by plugging the male connector member into the socket, there usually being some kind of detent present on the connector members to removably lock them together.
During normal use, the goose-neck connection between the pole and mast is subjected to very large shear forces. As a result, the thin, relatively soft aluminum wall to which the sleeve and its plate are connected deforms and even tears in the region near the sleeve. This wall deformation cocks the sleeve and upsets the proper orientation of the goose-neck relative to the mast thereby degrading the sailing characteristics of the boat. Further, in extreme cases the sleeve can actually tear completely out of the pole thereby freeing the pole from the mast and presenting a clear danger to the occupants of the boat.